West Hollywood Coronavirus Update: Los Angeles County Has Expanded Coronavirus Vaccine Eligibility To Include 3 Additional Sectors

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

March 2, 2021

The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that Los Angeles County has announced that three additional sectors — Education & Childcare; Emergency Services & First Responders; and Food & Agriculture — are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

These newly eligible sectors join frontline healthcare workers; staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities; staff and residents at long-term care facilities; and all people age 65 and over in eligibility for vaccines.

Residents in all eligible groups may visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com to schedule appointments. Residents who do not have computer access may call (833) 540-0473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. for assistance.

To share the latest updates regarding vaccines, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will host a COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the City of West Hollywood hosted a COVID-19 Vaccine Panel Discussion, which is posted for viewing on the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgxMx7Lk1Ho.

Los Angeles County continues to urge patience as it works to expand capacity and supply, which is currently limited. The vaccine will be offered to different groups of people at different times. When enough vaccine is ready, it will be offered to the general population. People coming to be vaccinated will be asked to verify they are in an eligible group.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has prepared detailed downloadable fact sheets (PDF) about each of the newly eligible sectors:

1. Education & Childcare
2. Emergency Services & First Responders
3. Food & Agriculture

“Getting vaccinated is critical in our aim to get back to normal,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “Our Public Health officials are continuing to get as many vaccines out as quickly as possible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently announced its emergency-use authorization for a third vaccine, which will expand supply, and I’m relieved that LA County has announced expanded vaccine eligibility to include countless essential workers who work in education and childcare, emergency services and first response, and food and agriculture. If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please do so as soon as possible to help protect yourself and your loved ones.”

While the vaccine stops people from getting sick, it is not yet clear if it stops people from spreading COVID-19 to other people. It is also not yet known how long people will be immune. So, everyone must still wear a face covering, maintain physical distance, and avoid gathering outside of households.

To ensure that people at higher risk of transmission and illness are vaccinated first, Los Angeles County has established a phased system. For details visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidvaccinedistribution. For answers to frequently asked questions from LA County Public Health, visit: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/about/FAQ-Vaccine.pdf.

The State of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has, additionally, established an online tool called MyTurn to assist all Californians in finding out when they are eligible for vaccination. Visit https://myturn.ca.gov and answer a few brief questions to determine eligibility.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, to continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings, playgrounds, and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications for up-to-date information.

To view essential-business City meetings, tune in to WeHoTV at:

• www.weho.org/wehotv

Meetings can also be accessed via:

• www.youtube.com/wehotv

• Spectrum Channel 10 (in West Hollywood)

• SmartTV Apps: AndroidTV; AppleTV; FireTV; and Roku

For notifications by email, subscribe to the City’s E-Notifications at www.weho.org/email. Visit the City’s event and meetings calendar at www.weho.org/calendar and news archive at www.weho.org/news.

To receive urgent updates to your phone by text and to your email, text your ZIP code to 888-777.

For updates and information about the current numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States, in the State of California, and in Los Angeles County, visit:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH) www.cdph.ca.gov

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.